Staff qualify for a period of pay protection when, due to organisational changes, their post is downbanded or their pay is otherwise reduced because they are no longer eligible to receive unsocial hours allowances, for example.

The most significant change in the policy affects staff with at least five years' continuous NHS service. Although the period of protection for these staff has not changed and will remain at two years, this will no longer be followed by a period known as 'mark time' where staff receive the higher pay rate attached to the old post - but without any increments or pay rises that might otherwise be due - until the lower pay rate in the new post catches up. So, this provision will cease.

We are seeking members' views

This is the most that we believe can be achieved through negotiation and we are seeking members' views.

Please complete our one-question survey as soon as possible and by 5pm on Friday 24 February 2017 at the latest.

The joint trade unions negotiated a number of improvements on the Trust’s original proposal – including the retention of increments and pay awards due during the period of protection, which the Trust had intended not to apply.

The Trust rejected our request for the maximum two-year period of protection to be followed by a graduated reduction to the lower pay level over the next three years. We asked for this to make the reduction more manageable for affected staff, considering that NHS pay is 14% lower in real terms than it was in 2010.